“Why would you not address him by his first name?”
“Because Apollo is dumb.”
“My investors would disagree,” stated the man as he returned, bearing a large platter.
Pink tainted her cheeks. “I told you before, Apollo makes me think of astronauts.”
“And every time you say Jameson I think of my father,” Apollo stated as he set the serving dish on the table.
An array of delectables covered it, and a simple sniff indicated most contained meat, seafood for the most part, but I detected red flesh as well. I waddled close to the dish, but before I could grab, Iolana chided, “Don’t you dare put your grubby paws all over the food. Sit your butt down and I’ll fill you a plate.”
Couldn’t argue with her desire to serve me. I waited less than patiently—and drooled slightly—as she loaded my plate with one of every offering.
When she placed it in front of me, I faced a dilemma. What to start with? I glanced for a fork to prick a meaty lump on a cracker, only to frown. “Where are the utensils?”
“I didn’t realize you used any, so I told my chef to prepare things we could eat with our fingers,” Apollo explained.
I glanced at my clawed paw then the offering in front of me, larger than it by far.
The man’s lips twitched, most likely in remorse. “Shit, guess I should have told her to make the pieces smaller.”
Iolana snickered. “Size won’t be a problem, but I wouldn’t suggest watching while Tigger eats. It can be traumatizing for the uninitiated.”
Her warning didn’t stop Apollo from staring as I demolished the offerings. As I finished them one by one, I asked in between, “What was that?”
“Coconut shrimp.” Then, “Conch fritter with a mango dipping sauce.” “Marinated lamb on a slaw.”
All turned out to be delicious, with the scallop ceviche and the beef tartar being my favorites. That said, my second plate contained all the offerings again, and when the humans leaned back from their plates, obviously done, I no longer waited for Iolana to serve me, but rather finished off the platter—and their plates. As if I’d waste any food.
Still, I might have overdone it. My belly strained, so full it might have burst had I been anything other than a dragon. With all those nutrients being digested, I’d wager my next molt would come on quick.
Groggy from the excellent repast, I chose to curl up on Iolana’s lap, and she stroked a finger down my back as I rested. Ah, this was the way it should be. Fed and coddled. I drowsily listened as she and Apollo spoke.
“What are you going to do with him?” the male asked.
“Honestly? I don’t know. I doubt I’ll have him for long, though.”
“Oh. Thinking of giving him away?”
“Good grief no. He might be a bossy dragon who eats too much, but he’s a cute bugger, even when he’s threatening to eat everyone who annoys him.” She paused. “That said, he appears incapable of being discreet. If he speaks in front of the wrong person, it won’t be long before the government, or some unsavory sorts out for a quick buck, steal him from me.”
As if I’d allow that to happen. I and no one else would choose where I lived and with whom.
“I did some poking around after meeting Tigger this morning to see if he’s the only one out there,” Apollo stated.
“Let me guess, you found nothing.”
“Actually, in the past year or so, there have been unconfirmed sightings of what might be other dragons.”
The news perked my interest.
“You’re kidding. How come it hasn’t been on the news?” Iolana paused her petting as she leaned forward with interest.
“Do you want to be the channel that posts dragons are real, only to find out it’s people carrying out an elaborate hoax?” Apollo countered. “The videos I found weren’t clear enough to provide definitive proof. Usually, I’d dismiss them as people screwing around on social media, but that was before I met Tigger.”
“Where were the sightings?”
“All over the place. Alberta, Canada. Peru, South America, and more recently, the mountainous regions of Italy.”
